Socket assembly

ABSTRACT

An indicator light assembly having a socket and an integral cover. The socket includes two distinct compartments, one housing a bulb and resistor, and the second housing a pair of spring, sheet metal contacts. The contacts are electrically insulated from one another and each embodies a first portion for engaging a wire lead from the bulb and/or resistor, and a second portion having a free end for bightingly gripping the stripped end of a conductor from an electrical energy source inserted into an appropriate opening in the end of the second compartment remote from the first compartment.

United States Patent [5 1 Murray [111 3,808,581 Apr. 30, 1974 1 SOCKETASSEMBLY [75] Inventor: Robert T. Murray, Needham, Mass. [73] Assignee:TRW Inc., Cleveland, Ohio [22] Filed: July 24,1972

[21] Appl. No.: 274,376

[52] US. Cl. 339/95 D, 340/381,-339/l47 R, 339/210 T [51] Int. Cl. HOlr13/66 [58] Field of Search 339/59 L, 95 D, 119, 147, 339/176 L, 208 210;340/381 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTSv 3,348,221 10/1967Duffield 339/207 R X 3,289,200 1 H1966 Rueger Rueger 339/208 wunm2,946,977 7/1960 Sheldon 339/95D Primary Examiner-Richard E. MooreAttorney, Agent, or Firm-James R. OConnor [57] ABSTRACT An indicatorlight assembly having a socket and an integral cover. The socketincludes two distinct compartme'nts, one housing a bulb and resistor,and the second housing a pair of spring, sheet metal contacts. Thecontacts are electrically insulated from one another and each embodies afirst portion for engaging a wire lead from the bulb and/or resistor,and a second portion having a free end for bightingly gripping thestripped end of a conductor from an electrical energy sourceinserted'into an appropriate opening in the end of the secondcompartment remote from the first compartment.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 1 SOCKET ASSEMBLY DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIORART In the past, several methods have been used to connect the leadsfrom the bulb of an indicator to power supply leads disposed outside ofan indicator assembly per se. An early method of attaching the leads toa connector was to crimp or solder a connector, having an apertureformed therethrough onto the leads. The lamp housing typically includeda base portion having a hole in the bottom wall thereof and a fastenersuch as a rivet disclosed in US. Pat; No. 3,233,033, utilized bladeterminals which were pressed and locked into an indicator housing havingthe bulb leads extending into an interference area where they werejammed between the terminal and the housing to effect the requisiteelectrical connection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A socket assembly-for an electrical bulbcomprises a socket member and a cover member integrally connectedthereto. The socket member includes a first compartment for housing abulb and at least two wire leads for supplying electric current to thebulb and a second compartment housing a pair of spring, sheet metalcontacts. The contacts are electrically insulated from one anotherandeach contact has a first portion for engaging one of the said leadwires and a second portion having a free end which is adapted tobightingly grip a stripped end of a conductor from a source ofelectrical energy. The second portion of each of said contacts includesa pair of arms connected by a sub-' stantially U-shaped bite. One of thearms terminates in the free end and is deflectable toward the other armto permit insertion of the stripped end of a conductor from a sourcebetween the free end of the arm and the confronting surface of thesecond compartment of the socket. The cover has means thereon for urgingthe lead wires against the first portions of the contacts and for urgingthe second portions of the contacts intoa clamping engagement with theends of conductors from the energy source inserted into the socket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of anindicator housing according to the invention with the cover open;

FIG. 2 is a central longitudinal cross section;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the housing looking from the lowerend of the housing as depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the housing looking from theupperend of the housing as depicted in FIG. I;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the indicator assembly shown in FIG. 2 withthe cover member open; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the indicator houss ing with thecover closed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings there is shown asocket assembly for an indicator light comprising a body having a socketmember 10, a cover member 12 connected to the socket member 10 by acomparatively thin, integral web 14 forming a hinge, a harness, a pairof connectors 16 and a shunt resistor 18.

The socket member, cover and web are formed of a plastic material andthe socket member 10 includes a generally rectangular mounting portion20 and a rectangular contact portion 22 integrally associated with andextending substantially perpendicularly from the mounting portion 20.The mounting portion 20 comprises a base portion 24 having a pair ofwalls 26 extending in right angle relation thereto and in spacedparallel relation to each other.

The forward wall 28 of the mounting portion 20 is integral with andextends from the base portion 24 and between the walls 26, therebyproviding the box like configuration of the mounting portion 20. Akeyway 30 is formed through the base portion 24 and a flexible wing 32extends from the external surface of each of the walls 26 inacuteangular relationship to the planes of the walls 26 and each wing has afree terminal end extending below the plane of the lower surface of thebase portion 24 as is best seen in FIGS. 1 and 5. The terminal ends ofthe wings 32 are bent so as to lie in planes which are in parallelrelationship to each other and to the plane of the walls 26.

The contact housing portion 22 of the socket member 10 comprises a pairof side walls 34 which extend integrally from a base 36 in right anglerelation thereto forming a box like shape. The contact housing portion22 is divided longitudinally by a partition wall 38 which extendsupwardly from the base 36. The upper surface of the partition wall 38lies coplanar with the upper surfaces of the side walls 34. A transversenotch 40 is formed in the partition wall 38 said notch extendsdownwardly a substantial distance so that the bottom thereof is disposedproximate the base 36. A dividing wall 42 disposed in transverse, rightangle relationship 20, and extends a substantial distance below the base36 of the contact housing portion 22, as is best seen in FIG. 2. Asloping wedge shaped separator portion 44 extends from adjacent theupper surface of the dividing wall 42 a relatively short distance towardthe base portion 24 of the mounting portion 20. A cavity 46 having achamfered lead open end is formed in dividing wall 42 adjacent theseparator portion 44.

The cover member 12 is generally rectangular in configuration andincludes a floor portion 48 and spaced, parallel side walls 50 extendingupwardly from the longitudinal edges of the floor portion, as best seenin FIG. 1. A rectangular platform portion 52 which is spaced from onetransverse end of the floor portion 48 extends between the sidewalls 50.A pair of rectangular stud portions 54 extend from the upper surface (asseen in FIG. 1) of the platform portion 52 adjacentone of its terminalends. The stud portions 54 are spaced from each other and from animaginary plane passing through the longitudinal center line of thecover member 12. A pin 56 extends upwardly from the platform portion 52of the cover member 12 forwardly of the stud portions 54. The end wallof the cover member 12 most remote from the pin 56 defined by a rearwall which has a pair of projections 58 extending upwardly thereform.Each of the projections 58 has a trapezoidal configuration as viewed inelevation. The end wall of the cover member 12 forms one of the walls, apair of rectangular pockets 60 which are spaced from each other anddisposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the covermember 12.

The harness includes a bulb or lamp 62 having a pair of bulb conductorleads 64 extending therefrom. One of the bulb conductor leads 64 isconnected to a resistor 66 from which a lead 67 extends.

Each of the connectors 16 is formed from flat, springy, electricallyconductive sheet metal and each includes a transversely arced contactarm 68 having a free terminal end 70. The contact section 68 isintegrally connected to an intermediate portion by a substantiallyU-shaped bight and thus is disposed in spaced, angular relationship tothe intermediate portion, as best seen in FIG. 2. The end of theintermediate portion of each connector 16 is formed into a step likefree end 72.

The indicator light is assembled by placing a connector 16 into eachcompartment formed by the base 36, the partition wall 38 and the sidewall 34 with the free end 72 of the connector 16 overlying the upperedge of the diving wall 42 and the terminal end 70 directed toward thebase 36. The harness is inserted into the cavity defined by the walls ofthe mounting portion and the terminal end of the bulb conductor lead 14that is not attached to the resistor 66 and the lead 67 are bent andplaced in position to overlie the free ends 72 of the connector 16 asshown partially in FIG. 2. The shunt resistor 18 is dropped into thenotch 40 so that it lies transversely of the longitudinal axis of thecontact portion 22. The left lead of the shunt resistor 18 is insuperposed abutting relation to the stepped end 72 of one of theconnectors 16 and the right lead overlies in abutting relation the end72 of the other connector 16. The cover member 12 is then closed on thesocket member 10 by rotating the cover about the hinging web 14. One ofthe stud portions 54 presses down on the lead 67 of the resistor 66while the other stud portion presses down on the bulb conductor lead 64forcing the leads into abutting electrical and mechanical engagementwith the free ends 72 of the connectors 16. Each of the bights of theconnectors 16 extends into a pocket 60 in the cover and the projections58 partially close off portions of the openings to the contact housingcompartments thereby providing small cable receiving openings andflexing the contact sections 68 toward the intermediate portions of thecontacts to permit stripped wire leads from power fource to be insertedbetween the terminal ends 70 of the connectors and the inner surface ofthe base 36. Thus as is best depicted in FIG.

2, the strip ends of the wire leads 74 when inserted beneath the freeends of the contacts are bightingly gripped thereby to provide anefiicient electrical and mechanical connection. Obviously, withdrawal ofthe wire leads is firmly resisted by what is, in effect, a bighting,ratchetlike engagement of the free ends of the contacts with said leads.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description of a preferredembodiment of the invention is to be construed as illustrative ratherthan a restrictive sense and that the scope of the invention is bestdefined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A socket assembly for an electrical bulb comprising a socket memberand a cover member integrally connected to said socket member, saidsocket member including a first compartment for housing a bulb and atleast two lead wires for supplying electric current to said bulb and asecond compartment housing a pair of spring, sheet metal contacts, saidcontacts being electrically insulated from one another by means formedintegrally with said second compartment, each of said contacts having afirst portion for contacting one of said lead wires and a second portionhaving a free end adapted to bightingly grip a conductor from a sourceof electrical energy, said second portion of each of said contactsincluding a pair of arms connected by a substantially U-shaped bite, oneof said arms terminating in said free end and being deflectable towardthe other arm to permit insertion of a conductor from an energy sourcebetween the free end of said arm and a confronting surface of saidsecond compartment of said socket member, said cover member having meansthereon for urging said lead wires against said first portions of saidcontacts and for urging said second portions of said contacts intoclamping engagement with conductors from an energy source inserted intosaid socket member.

2. A socket assembly according to claim 1 wherein said socket memberincludes a notch for receiving a resistor carrying wire leads and saidmeans on said cover are adapted to retain the resistor in said notch andto urge one of the resistor leads into an electrical contact with one ofsaid other arms of each of said contacts.

3. A socket assembly according to claim 1 including cooperating means onsaid socket member and said cover member defining a pair of spacedopenings at one end of said socket member, said openings being adaptedto receive conductors from an energy source and being disposedsubstantially proximate the free ends of said one arm of each of saidcontacts.

4. A socket assembly according to claim 1 including cooperating pin andsocket means adapted to be releasably engaged to retain said cover in aclosed condition on said socket member.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I CERTIFICATE ()F CORRECTION Patent No.3,808 ,581 Dated April 30, 1974 Inventor) Robert T.i'-Murray It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

" Column'l, line 20, delete in effect a parallel splice"; line'5'7 after"section" insert of an indicator assembly according to the inventionColnmn 2, line 40, after"'wa1l 38"- insert and line 53, after"chamfered" delete "lead". Column 3 line 7 after "walls" delete thecomma and insert of line 55, delete "fource" and insert source dColumn4, line 7, after "leads." insert An attempts to withdraw the wire lead74 will meet the opposition of the terminal end 70.

"Signed andsealed this 1st day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest: v

MeCOY M. GIBSON JR. 0. MARSHALL DANN Attest-ing Officer Commissioner ofPaten' F ORM PO1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 us GOVERNMENT PRINTINGOFFICE: 930

1. A socket assembly for an electrical bulb comprising a socket memberand a cover member integrally connected to said socket member, saidsocket member including a first compartment for housing a bulb and atleast two lead wires for supplying electric current to said bulb and asecond compartment housing a pair of spring, sheet metal contacts, saidcontacts being electrically insulated from one another by means formedintegrally with said second compartment, each of said contacts having afirst portion for contacting one of said lead wires and a second portionhaving a free end adapted to bightingly grip a conductor from a sourceof electrical energy, said second portion of each of said contactsincluding a pair of arms connected by a substantially Ushaped bite, oneof said arms terminating in said freE end and being deflectable towardthe other arm to permit insertion of a conductor from an energy sourcebetween the free end of said arm and a confronting surface of saidsecond compartment of said socket member, said cover member having meansthereon for urging said lead wires against said first portions of saidcontacts and for urging said second portions of said contacts intoclamping engagement with conductors from an energy source inserted intosaid socket member.
 2. A socket assembly according to claim 1 whereinsaid socket member includes a notch for receiving a resistor carryingwire leads and said means on said cover are adapted to retain theresistor in said notch and to urge one of the resistor leads into anelectrical contact with one of said other arms of each of said contacts.3. A socket assembly according to claim 1 including cooperating means onsaid socket member and said cover member defining a pair of spacedopenings at one end of said socket member, said openings being adaptedto receive conductors from an energy source and being disposedsubstantially proximate the free ends of said one arm of each of saidcontacts.
 4. A socket assembly according to claim 1 includingcooperating pin and socket means adapted to be releasably engaged toretain said cover in a closed condition on said socket member.